Walter the Dormobile

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Gromit
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Walter the Dormobile

Post by Gromit » Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:23 am

I've just purchased a Series IIa Dormobile ,collected it yesterday.

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I found it through a gentleman who has been servicing it since it's been in Australia. Through him I have a limited history.
Turned up in Regent Motors in Melbourne late 1960's, thought to have been driven overland to the tip of India then shipped to Australia.
Two owners since then (both have unfortunately passed away), purchased it through the family members that inherited it.
Has done a lot of outback trips and also been used for general day-to-day use.

Unfortunately there is some damage to the offside. There are also parts missing.
On the plus side there is no rot that I can find and it starts & drives OK (apart from a blown silencer). Engine & gearbox have been rebuilt in recent years. Could almost have driven it home except it was on the New South Wales border about 4.5 hours from home so I trailered it.

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It seems to be missing the sink, water bottles and the table. There are lots of brackets and odd bits that have been fitted over the years.
There is a fuel tank under the drivers seat (as well as the one under the rear) but it has a Series I filler which looks to have been welded it. Gas bottle has been fitted in the wardrobe which isn't a good idea and would fail a roadworthy (MOT) here.

I'm sure I'll be posting lots of questions once I get started on this project. Unfortunately SWMBO is insisting that at least one of the other Land Rovers is sold, plus there are some projects round the house that need to be done to pacify her !

Looking forward to getting it registered and then it'll be a rolling restoration.


Colin
1956 Series I 86" hardtop
1960 Series II LWB ute (sold)
1965 Series IIa Dormobile
1970 Series IIa GS
1976 Series III SWB with Isuzu 2.4
1981 Series III FFR
1995 Defender Tanami
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RMS
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:02 am
Location: Near Wakefield, UK, in God's own Country!

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by RMS » Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:48 am

Hi Colin,

Welcome, and thanks for adding another Australian classic camper to the forum :cheers:

Looks like a great vehicle - lots of changes to suit the owners at the time which, to my mind, makes it as interesting as one in original condition.

I'm sure you will be able to sort out the gas bottles and some sort of sink etc. so that you can enjoy using it as a camper.

Looking forward to pictures of it in use :cheers:

Cheers,
Robin.
1967 109" Carawagon 200TDi
1972 109" SW Carawagon 2.5NA
1958 109" Carawagon 2.25P (project)
1972 109" Carawagon 200 or 300TDi (project)
1974 Dormobile 2.25D (project)
(Robin on S2C forum)
Dormy
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:45 pm
Info: Sleeping on the job.....Zzzzzz
Location: Norfolk

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Dormy » Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:43 am

Hi Colin and welcome.

You certainly live in the right country to make best use of a Dormobile. Good luck with sorting it out.

Ian
Gromit
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Gromit » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:34 am

Dormy wrote:Hi Colin and welcome.

You certainly live in the right country to make best use of a Dormobile. Good luck with sorting it out.

Ian
It'll take some time to get it sorted because of all the work SWMBO wants done around the house (payoff for being allowed to get the Dormobile).

The stove is missing part of the grill, the gas jet is there but there must be a diffuser that plugs over it which has got lost.

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I also noticed the roof hatch looks 'home made'. I guess the original got damaged and they had to fix it somehow so a home made job it was. The roof windows have been painted white, probably due to the heat buildup outback.

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Behind the blanked off rear window is some crude insulation, again maybe to keep heat out ?

Every time I have a look round it I find something new & interesting.


Colin
1956 Series I 86" hardtop
1960 Series II LWB ute (sold)
1965 Series IIa Dormobile
1970 Series IIa GS
1976 Series III SWB with Isuzu 2.4
1981 Series III FFR
1995 Defender Tanami
Marque
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:35 am

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Marque » Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:50 pm

Lovely. Congratulations & well done on saving the vehicle. You will have a lot of fun with it I hope.

I understand the wifey thing all too well.

Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.

No rot - terrific. You will be wanting resto volunteers!
Kindest regards
Mark
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Peaceand
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: Near Wakefield, West Yorkshire

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Peaceand » Thu Jan 29, 2015 6:07 pm

Marque wrote: Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.
If they are the ones I think you mean, they are the drain holes for the sliding window channel. As water can run inside the channel, it gets funnelled though to the outside world again via those 4 holes.

If you look closely (assuming the bottom channel is still there), you should see there is a stub of a metal pipe emerging through each hole?

Hope that helps,
Patrick
  • Holly - 1972 Searle Carawagon Continental Ultimate (200 TDi)
  • Basil - 1969 Searle SWB (Prima TD)
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DrivingDutchman
Posts: 392
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:44 am
Location: Raunds, Northants

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by DrivingDutchman » Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:42 pm

Peaceand wrote:
Marque wrote: Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.
If they are the ones I think you mean, they are the drain holes for the sliding window channel. As water can run inside the channel, it gets funnelled though to the outside world again via those 4 holes.

If you look closely (assuming the bottom channel is still there), you should see there is a stub of a metal pipe emerging through each hole?

Hope that helps,
Patrick
I concuer with Patrick. They are the drain holes for the window channel. Although I have a suspicious feeling that in your Aussie climate they are not realy needed, but all station wagen have them.
If they get blocked in the uk for instance, you can grow your very own mobile garden... :laugh:
1969 109 sw dormobile Dora
1996 overland defender sw 110 Nellie
1962 109 sw safari diesel Hannie (sold)
1973 88 series 3 soft top in various bits on the drive...
Marque
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:35 am

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Marque » Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:36 am

Thank you Gentlemen. I now have an appreciation.

Kindest regards
Mark
Gromit
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Gromit » Sat Jan 31, 2015 9:56 pm

Found some time (more accurately, I was allowed some time) to work on Walter yesterday.

The drivers seat was loose so I removed it and replaced a few bolts. While under there I took a picture of the additional fuel tank.

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Seems to be a Series II tank but it's been made without the rear filler pipe and a Series I filler neck has been welded into place.

There is a panel with a latch that covers the hole under the seat.

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As this was where the gas bottles were normally located was the panel a Dormobile addition ?
There is also a square hole on the side of the drivers seatbox that has been filled in, was this 'Dormobile' ?

Fitted a new rear silencer/tailpipe. Mine is a suffix C chassis and it seems there was a silencer/tailpipe for suffix A & B and a different one for C.
Could only get the suffix C locally but I noticed on Walter that there was a hole in the mudflap but the tailpipe currently exited to the side. So the silender/tailpipe had been replaced in the past and was different.

Removed the old one and here they are side by side.

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The replacement fitted neatly back through the hole in the mudflap !

Prices for Land Rover parts (even Britpart/Bearmach) over here can get expensive so I often purchase direct from the UK. The silencer/tailpipe cost $77 locally and was NOS. Much cheaper in the UK but I dread to think what shipping would have cost.....


Colin
1956 Series I 86" hardtop
1960 Series II LWB ute (sold)
1965 Series IIa Dormobile
1970 Series IIa GS
1976 Series III SWB with Isuzu 2.4
1981 Series III FFR
1995 Defender Tanami
Dormy
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:45 pm
Info: Sleeping on the job.....Zzzzzz
Location: Norfolk

Re: Walter the Dormobile

Post by Dormy » Sun Feb 01, 2015 3:17 am

Gromit wrote:There is a panel with a latch that covers the hole under the seat.

As this was where the gas bottles were normally located was the panel a Dormobile addition ?
There is also a square hole on the side of the drivers seatbox that has been filled in, was this 'Dormobile' ?
The panel under your seat is definitely part of the Dormobile fittings but I don't know about the square hole, my Dormy doesn't have it.

When I got Dormy 35 years ago the lift out panel was placed with the budget lock to the front. This means I have to completely remove the drivers seat to lift out the gas bottles. It has never occurred to me to try and fit the panel the other way. Maybe this will let me swap bottles by just sliding the seat forward in future (it can be a pig to fit back on the runners !).

Sigh - There's none so blind as those that cannot see !

Ian
P.S. Do you have whatever it is that fits to the brackets on top of the cab roof, if so any pics ?
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